It Began Under the Mistletoe
by SylviaW1991
Summary: ch3 After Harry gets caught snogging some girl on Valentnie's Day, Draco won't speak to him. Can Harry fix romance Draco started or will it end in ruin? ... D/H fluffy fluff; last part
1. Under the Mistletoe

This is my first Harry/Draco. It's actually a surprise gift to my best pal, Amy! Hope you enjoy it, boo :3

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_Under the Mistletoe_

"What's the matter, Potter? Stuck working the holidays?"

"Leave me alone, Malfoy." The shaggy-haired young man didn't look up from the stack of paperwork he was shuffling through. He should've listened to Professor McGonagall that last year… Sure, she was Headmistress now, but she would always be Professor to him. And, in some ways, a mother.

Harry Potter leaned back after a few minutes when it became clear that the blonde before him wasn't going anywhere. "What do you want?"

"Oh, nothing." At which point, Draco Malfoy proceeded to poke his wand into the stack and fiddle with pages and get everything even more out of order than it already was.

Harry suffered through it in silence, hoping that the git would leave him alone sooner rather than later. "You should get these things finished as soon as you get them," Malfoy said at one point, and Harry ignored him. And then he sighed. "My mother wanted me to ask that you join us for Christmas dinner."

And the quill pen snapped in his hand. "What?"

"Oh come on, Potter, you can't have gone deaf."

"Why would she have invited me over? I'm sure your dad wouldn't be too thrilled at that."

"Oh, how am I supposed to know? I just got her owl ten minutes ago and haven't had time to question her. But I'm leaving in the morning. Be at my flat by ten or I'll give mother your apologies."

Harry watched the male for a long moment before frowning. "I don't believe you."

"Oh for Merlin's sake, Potter." He patted his pockets before producing a small envelope. When it was passed to Harry, the wizard withdrew his wand and ran it over the envelope. It seemed genuine.

Harry read it quickly, scowling when he came across his name. "She invited me last year?"

"Yes."

"You didn't tell me then."

"You were still dating Ginny last year. Why bother talking to you when I know you'll refuse?"

"Yeah…" It had taken a few years before he and Ginny Weasley could admit to each other, let alone their friends, that they just weren't going to work out. They were wonderful friends, but their romantic relationship had only grown platonic after the death of Voldemort.

He looked up. "And what makes you think I won't refuse now?"

Draco shrugged. "It's Christmas Eve dinner, Potter. You can return to your silly friends on Christmas morning. There's no reason to say no."

"What about the fact that I don't like you?"

He placed his hands on the desk, leaned forward. "I don't like you either, but my mother does for some baffling reason."

Harry wondered if Narcissa Malfoy had ever told her son that it had been her to save his life, to essentially save all of the wizarding world. If she hadn't lied to Voldemort, Harry would be truly dead and the Battle of Hogwarts would have ended in ruin. "Then perhaps I will go. Just for dinner. I'd rather not stay the night in Malfoy Manor."

"It's your choice, Potter. I suppose I'll see you at my flat at ten. And that's AM, Potter." He straightened, adjusting his robes before striding out.

Harry rolled his eyes, but sighed as he looked at the mess that had been made of his desk. "Bloody wonderful…"

The next morning, he arrived at Malfoy's apartment with a frown on his face and Teddy Lupin's hand in his. He'd hardly gotten four hours of sleep after finishing all of his paperwork. And now, for some strange reason, he had decided to wake himself and Teddy up to spend an entire day with former Death Eaters. What in hell was he thinking? He should be sleeping and preparing to leave for the Burrow later. Instead, he had his duffel bag already packed and set as a Portkey to leave exactly at ten for the Burrow.

He sighed as he knocked on Draco's door. Twelve hours at Malfoy Manor, surrounded by people who didn't like him. Who hadn't liked him since before he'd been born. Really, the only way they ever would've liked him if Harry had, at the age of eleven, taken Draco's offered hand. But what he'd felt at eleven, he felt at twenty-three. Draco Malfoy was a prude and, therefore, intolerable. Even if Draco hadn't sold him out during the Second Wizarding War…

Harry sighed. Really the only Malfoy who had never given Harry a reason to like him was Lucius Malfoy and that was a dislike that went too deep to stand.

When the blonde opened the door, it was with a blindingly white smile. Harry was uncomfortably reminded of Gilderoy Lockhart. "Well, this is a surprise."

"Oh, shut up, Malfoy."

He lifted a brow. "It's Draco today, Harry. Calling me Malfoy would be rude at my own house, wouldn't it?"

Harry was momentarily taken aback. He couldn't remember the last time Draco had called him anything but Potter. "I suppose it would… Draco," he added at the blonde's pointed look.

"Good. Now come in. I'm not quite ready to go yet."

"You said ten!"

"Oh, pssh. Relax, Harry. It isn't the end of the world if you're here a bit early. Want something to drink?"

Again, Harry was taken aback. Why was Draco being so… polite? "No. No, thank you," he amended.

"Maybe I wasn't talking to you, Harry." He looked at the boy. "Do you want anything?"

"Milk."

Draco's lips twitched. "Of course. Dipsy!" he called and there was a crack.

"Dipsy is here, master."

A house elf. Why was Harry not surprised? Though this one didn't look as grungy as Harry would have expected. She looked more like a Hogwarts house elf – well taken care of and actually pleased in her work. What…?

"Go and tell mother that I'm running a bit late and that Harry Potter has decided to grace us with his presence this year. Tell her he's bringing his four year old godson as well."

"I'm five," the now pink-haired boy piped up.

The elf cast a glance to Harry and Teddy that held no venom – another surprising trait. Being a Malfoy elf, he would have expected her to consider him a blood traitor. "Yes, master Draco." There was another crack and she was gone.

"She on loan from someone?"

"Dipsy? No. She was a gift when I moved out of the house. She's lived in my house since I was a child, I believe. I'd never actually seen her before, though. She was a mangy little thing…" He shrugged, but Harry caught the bit of disgust.

"You know that's why Dobby wanted to leave. Because your father overworked him and all the elves in his care."

Draco frowned, looking down his perfect nose at the brunette. "I'm aware of that, Potter."

And now it was Harry's turn to lift a brow. "Still don't like hearing the truth about your dear old dad, eh Malfoy?"

"The truth," he spat, a hand going over the spot Harry knew bore the Dark Mark. "I know my father better than you ever shall, Potter. I know how he treats servants."

"Slaves," Harry corrected and Draco spun back to face him. Harry nearly laughed. He looked so ridiculous when he was worked up. When the word "cute" sprang to mind, it was quickly banished.

"House Elves work for food and for shelter as they always have. That doesn't make them slaves."

"The way you treat them makes them slaves."

"Did she look maltreated?" Draco exploded, brandishing his wand. It was the first time in five years that he'd seen the wand of his rival. Apparently, it was kept safely in his sleeve.

"I thought we were being polite today, Draco. Want to duel instead?"

Draco held the tip of his wand at Harry's face, scowling. "Answer the question, Potter. Did Dipsy look maltreated to you?"

"No," Harry said after a moment, and Draco's wand was whisked, a glass of milk appearing. Teddy grabbed it and drank deeply, a smile forming. He seemed oblivious to the argument going on; he was too busy wandering around and exploring.

"I do not treat her like a slave," Draco said quietly, tucking his wand away.

"So you're not your father."

Draco's fists clenched, but his wand stayed put. Slowly, the blonde turned. "I need to finish packing if you wish to keep to your precious schedule."

Harry waited until the other man was at his bedroom door before calling out his name. "That was a compliment, you know. You're not your father."

Draco sighed, glancing back. "Don't tell him that. We want a pleasant Christmas, after all." And he was gone, closing the door behind him.

Harry found a chair and sank onto the arm of it, frowning. This was a surprising revelation… Draco didn't want to be like his father… All throughout their school years, Draco had idolized him, done everything just as his father wanted. Hell, at age sixteen the idiot had gone and gotten the Dark Mark branded in his skin.

Teddy wandered over and pulled himself into the big chair, sinking instantly into the cushions. "Harry, is this the mansion?"

"It's too small to be a mansion," Harry laughed, ruffling the boy's neon yellow hair. "You'll see. Malfoy Manor is giant compared to this."

"Stifling," Draco corrected, slightly annoyed. He surprised Harry yet again by kneeling in front of the chair where Teddy sat. "What's your name?" he asked.

"Teddy Lupin," he announced proudly.

Draco blinked. "Really? With a name as grand as that, you should be more careful about keeping your shoes tied."

"I don't know how."

"Don't know how?" With mock surprised, Draco placed a hand over his heart. "I'll have to show you, then."

"But I don't have a wand."

"You won't for a few more years and for good reason. We all have to learn how to do things without a wand."

"Why?"

"Because you don't want to overwork the poor thing, do you? Your wand's your best friend, Mr. Lupin. And a tired best friend is a boring one." Teddy giggled and was awarded with a wide smile. "Now, here, pay attention." And he took the boy through the entire bunny ears spiel with as straight a face as Harry had ever seen.

"Want to give it a try?"

"Yes!" Teddy shouted, and went to work on his other shoe. It was sloppier than Draco's perfect tying, but Draco acted as though he had just watched an artist at work.

"Perfect!" the blonde announced and earned a wide grin from the child. "You seem to be missing some teeth, Mr. Lupin."

Teddy nodded. "Yes. The tooth fairy came and took them from under my pillow. She left me three whole galleons for one!"

"The tooth fairy?" Draco seemed blank for a moment before smiling and getting to his feet. "Sounds marvelous."

"I have to pee," he announced and Draco pointed the way. Teddy ran off and Draco looked to Harry.

"Tooth fairy? What the bollocks is that?"

"It's a muggle tradition. I wasn't sure if wizards did anything when someone loses a tooth."

"Of course not. Why would you celebrate losing a tooth?"

Harry shrugged. "Teddy likes it. I'm sorry I didn't tell you about him beforehand."

Draco shook his head. "It isn't a problem, Harry. Is he Professor Lupin's son?"

"Yes. And the son of Nymphadora Tonks."

"Oh… Is he a…?"

"Werewolf? No. But he is a Metamorphmagus. Is that a problem?"

"No."

"His mother was a half-blood and his father a blood traitor."

"I hope you don't tell all this to my father," was Draco's only comment.

Harry scowled. "Draco, when did you get so–"

"I hit the bowl and everything!" the boy exclaimed, running into the living room.

Draco smiled. "Wonderful. I'd hate to spend time cleaning the loo." Teddy giggled. "Ever apparated, Mr. Lupin?"

"One time I did. And you can call me Teddy."

"Thank you very much, Teddy. I'm honored. Now we're going to apparate, the three of us. I'm afraid I don't have a fireplace or we would go by floo powder."

Teddy nodded, slipping his hand into Harry's. Draco offered his to the boy, who happily took it. Instantly, they were gone.

They reappeared in the center of a grand room with high ceilings and portraits all along the walls. "Wow!" Teddy exclaimed. "Why is it so dark?"

"I'll never know," Draco mused, wand aloft. "_Lumos_!" And he led the way out. Teddy followed, at his side. Harry trailed after, looking around. It was so strange, being in this building again. As Teddy had pointed out, it was dark. And Draco was… Well, he looked entirely in his element. In that dark suit, in that dark room, lit only by the light of his firmly gripped wand. He looked positively dashing – something Harry would never have labeled the snooty boy during their Hogwarts years.

Was it possible that Draco Malfoy had… grown up?

Harry suddenly stilled, realizing that he had just thought of Draco as dashing. And handsome. And, as he continued to stare at the young man, sexy. It was the last adjective that had Harry taking a full step back. No. That was no way to think of his greatest rival. No way to think at all!

"Harry!" Teddy called. "Draco said you'll get lost if you stand around gaping like a fool!"

The laugh Draco let loose sent pleasant prickles along Harry's spine, warmed him from the inside out until his cheeks were a glowing red. "I'm coming," he managed, voice a bit gruffer than he intended.

By the time Harry had forced himself to catch up to the pair, they'd arrived in what Harry assumed to be the drawing room. A woman sat by herself on the couch, stroking a snow-white cat. When Draco cleared her throat, she rose, depositing the cat on the floor. Her smile was wide and made her actually appear pretty.

Harry frowned, watching Narcissa embrace her only child. It hit Harry, as it had hit him when the Malfoy's had all been pressed close in the middle of the Great Hall after the Battle of Hogwarts, that they all had true affection for one another. Love for her son had led Narcissa to lie to the Dark Lord, thereby guaranteeing his loss.

Draco pressed his face into his mother's hair, holding tightly to her. It surprised Harry, this level of blatant affection. He'd expected air kisses and brief words of greeting. Not silent, almost desperate, hugging.

"You should stop staying gone for months at a time," Narcissa finally said, drawing back.

"I know, mother. But I've brought you presents this time. And I'd like you to meet Mr. Teddy Lupin and, as you know, his godfather Harry Potter."

"Of course." She held a hand out to Teddy. "It's lovely to meet you, Mr. Lupin."

He giggled, shyly shook her hand. "You can call me Teddy, too."

"Thank you, sweetheart. And, Harry, it's wonderful to see you again." She held out both hands to Harry and he took them, slightly baffled. "I feel I've never thanked you properly for all that you did."

"Mrs. Malfoy… I only did what I had to."

"Which is all the more reason to thank you. I'm so glad that you could spend Christmas Eve with us, though I'm sorry I've taken you from your friends."

"I'll see them later. It's fine."

She smiled. "Draco, you'll take them to their rooms, won't you?"

"Of course, mother." He kissed her cheek before leading Teddy and Harry out. Harry stayed silent until Teddy was bundled in his room and settled down for a nap.

When they got to Harry's room, the brunette finally spoke up. "You told her that we saved your life."

"Twice," he added. "I left out the part where one of you punched me in the face."

"Well… You deserved it," Harry pointed out.

"Probably."

Harry nodded. "And your mother… Did she ever tell you what she did?"

"When?"

"That day…"

Draco looked blank for a moment before shaking his head. "No, actually. All I know is that she and I grew even closer after that day…" He shook his head. "Anyway, here."

"You aren't curious about it?"

"Of course I am, Potter. But she hasn't told me, and it seems that I would rather hear it from her."

"How did you get to be so good with kids?"

"I'm not entirely sure. I know it was mother who taught me how to tie my shoes. We'll see if Teddy remembers how after he wakes up. How much sleep did you manage to get last night?"

"Around four hours," he mused, frowning.

"Well, you can nap if you like."

Harry studied Draco a moment before nodding. "All right. If Teddy wakes up before I do, have someone come and get me."

Draco lifted a brow. "Of course. And Harry?"

He stopped in the doorway, turned back. "Yeah?"

"Thank you for coming. This means a lot to mother."

"Well… I owe her."

"Ah. One more thing. You're under the mistletoe."

"Wha–" And he was suddenly being assaulted by a warm, eager mouth. It wasn't long before Draco's tongue was involved in an intricate duel with Harry's. When the startled wizard tried to pull back, he found himself held in place, Draco's hands fisted in his hair. He had no choice but to give in, the urge to fight slipping away as he lost himself to Draco's taste. The kiss lasted until they were both breathless and gasping for air.

Panting, Harry managed to step back. "What… Why…?"

"Mistletoe… of course… It's traditional…" Draco smiled slightly, laid his thumb on Harry's bottom lip. "And, of course, I've wanted to do that for quite a while."

"Wha…?"

Draco stepped back. "Have a good nap, Potter. And Happy Christmas." The smile still on his face, he walked off, leaving Harry flabbergasted and, despite himself, turned on. His eyes were drawn by the blonde's nicely toned behind until the wizard rounded a corner.

"Happy Christmas," he finally murmured, and disappeared into the room. He didn't notice the fact that there wasn't any sign of mistletoe in his doorway until 9:59, just as he and Teddy were reaching for the Portkey.

The last thing Harry saw before he and Teddy arrived at the Burrow were amused, silver eyes…

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Yes, I realize it's supremely long… But if you're going to do a Christmas gift, you'd better do it right!

P.S. There may or may not be a sequel :D


	2. Butterbeer and Cherries

Yeah, I wrote a sequel

No, there's no sex

Yes, Scorpius is in this one

Yes, Scorpius wouldn't actually be born, but Teddy wasn't raised by Harry and Harry married Ginny so canon's already damned

Yes, I may be getting into this pairing a little teeny bit XD

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_Butterbeer and Cherries_

It was two weeks after the New Year had come and gone that Harry saw Draco again. He was sitting behind his desk, tapping his quill on a stack of papers when he heard a soft voice. "Father, why do you work here? Grandfather doesn't like it…"

Father? Harry looked up, was startled to see Draco wandering down the hall with a small boy who couldn't be older than Teddy. And Teddy had been born when they were only seventeen…

"Don't listen to everything your grandfather says, Scorpius." There was a tiredness in the blonde's voice that Harry had never heard before.

"Draco?"

When the young man looked over, Harry realized with a start that he'd spoken aloud. "Harry," the former Slytherin greeted and Harry knew Draco was exhausted. No snappy retort? A boy calling him fath… Holy Merlin, the boy looked just like Draco. Same silvery eyes, same platinum hair… The only difference was that the child's soft blonde locks curled at the ends. He even looked fairly bored, another trait Harry attributed with Draco.

The look he sent Draco had the young man sighing. "Scorpius, I'm going to take you to my office. Mr. Potter and I have some things to discuss."

"Potter?" The young boy – what the hell kind of a name was Scorpius? – hid himself behind Draco's legs. "You're Harry Potter?"

Harry couldn't help but let his lips curve. After so many years with Teddy, he had grown to adore kids. "Sure am. And who're you?"

"Scorpius… Malfoy."

The hesitation over his last name had Harry lifting a brow and, once again, the tired Draco sighed. "Here, Scorpius. Follow the light." He flicked his wand and a shimmery green fizzled out and shot out the door. With a careful nod, the young child ran off.

Draco, after a moment, sank into the chair in front of Harry's desk. It was odd to see him slouch as he was. "Curious, Potter?"

"Very," he admitted. "Kingsley told me that you were on an extended holiday."

Draco's lips curved ever so slightly. "Asking about me, were you?"

"No," he said quickly, realizing his mistake. "It was said in passing."

"Ah."

A silence followed that lasted until Harry could no longer tolerate it. "How do you have a child that age?"

"The summer I turned seventeen, I learned that I was betrothed to this girl I had never met. Apparently her elder sister was in our year, but…" Draco shrugged. "I never dealt with younger students."

"Did you get a wild hair and rebel, then? Knocked a girl up?"

Now he looked offended, gaze no longer tired, but alert and annoyed and sharp enough that Harry nearly apologized. "If you recall, the year I turned seventeen is also the bloody year you killed…"

"Voldemort," Harry said, relishing it when Draco winced slightly.

"Yes." He sighed. "That entire year was a bit… hectic. And my father was insistent that I… Well, long story short, the girl and I decided that a pregnancy was in order. After the year ended as it did, she and I both realized that we'd made a mistake."

"You could've ended the pregnancy."

This didn't get a look, but Harry watched in fascination as Draco's grip on the chair tightened considerably. "We could have. Obviously, we didn't. But when Scorpius was born my father very quickly named him as I was away and made certain that the girl and the child would be well taken care of. And sent them away."

"Sent them away?" Harry murmured.

"Yes. It was New Year's Eve that I was finally able to slip a bit of Veritaserum into Father's glass and find out just where he'd sent them. Apparently, he'd kept in contact… The perfect grandfather, of course." It was obvious that he tried to hide the bitterness, but Harry caught it.

"And you went and got him."

"Yes. Now if I've satisfied your curiosity–"

"You have, but why?"

"Because I got a message from Teddy a bit ago asking why I hadn't asked him over as I said I would." He slid a piece of paper across the desk. "I would rather you told Teddy that he'll have someone to play with than have it be a surprise. And I knew you would pester me with annoying questions, so I got the explanation out of the way."

"Why do you look so tired?"

"Determined to ask me pesky questions anyway?" He shook his head. "Because custody battles are difficult, particularly when you're fighting your own father."

"What? How could it have gone by so fast?"

Draco's usual smirk slid back into place as he rose and went to the door. "It's a shame," he said as he reached the doorway, "that there isn't any mistletoe about after the Christmas season. Wouldn't you agree, Potter?"

He watched the way Harry colored before laughing and slipping out. When he was gone, Harry turned over the sheet of parchment and scanned it, eyes going wide as he did.

_Mr. Teddy Lupin~_

_You are, of course, correct. I've been incredibly rude and I apologize. I invited you over and have yet to set a date. Again, I apologize. Things have been fairly difficult this past month, though I must say with delight that I now have someone living with me who is your age. Perhaps you and he shall become friends when I see you next. The date at which you visit is entirely up to your godfather and know that I fully support whichever date he decides is suitable. Perhaps you can convince him to select a day that is within this next week. I would very much like to continue our discussion on the pros and cons of digesting worms and other insects._

_Best wishes,_

_~Draco Malfoy_

Harry never would have expected such a note from Draco. So proper and perfect and… It didn't read as though it was directed towards a child, so much as an adult that Draco admired. Teddy would love it. As for a date to go and visit Draco's apartment… Why would Malfoy have left it to Harry to decide?

As Harry rose to leave for the day, he noticed another sheet of parchment drop down. He frowned at it and held it up, looking at it curiously. It appeared blank…

"_Aparecium_," he murmured, tapping his wand against the page. It immediately filled with a small paragraph in Draco's handwriting.

_Harry~_

_If you're reading this, congratulations. It's nice to know that you know how to use that wand of yours for something useful. As I am fairly certain that Teddy cannot read as of yet, I feel it is safe to assume that you have read the message intended for him. I look forward to yours and Teddy's next visit. It has most certainly been a furiously busy few weeks. I've missed pestering you at wok a great deal and I am certain that you missed being pestered. We'll have to remedy this once I get Scorpius settled in. I do not believe that I can come into your office to flirt – my apologies, pester – with him with me. Alas, the thought of leaving him at home or with a nanny appalls me after I've spent so many years apart from him. He knew me only from pictures and, quite honestly, it caused me pains. You'll be seeing quite a bit of him over the next few days. I suggest you bring Teddy along to work with you. I am sure he would adore watching you ignore paperwork. And I have little doubt that you would enjoy actually having a reason to ignore it._

_~Draco_

_p.s. Your mouth tastes of butterbeer and cherries. A fascinating combination I intend to explore further. I sincerely hope this doesn't cause you to keep Teddy from me. I enjoy his company._

Harry swallowed, heard a startled sound from a child and then a squeal of laughter. And then Scorpius was streaking past the door of his office. "Scorpius!" Draco called, going after his son.

"Draco!"

The wizard stopped, looked back into Harry's room. "Yes?"

"Teddy and I'll see you tomorrow."

"Alright. I shall see the two of you 'round seven?"

"How about right after work? After all, I plan on bringing Teddy 'round in order to ignore paperwork more effectively."

Draco's smile was slow. "You may have to clear it with Shacklebolt first."

"Scorpius needs someone to keep him entertained and Kingsley adores Teddy."

The blonde nodded. "Tomorrow, then. Goodnight, Potter."

"Fire whiskey," he said as the other wizard left.

"What was that?"

"Nothing," Harry murmured, shuffling his papers.

Draco lifted single brow, but his son was calling, so he walked off with a shrug.

The next day, Teddy could hardly contain himself. It'd been weeks since he'd last seen or heard from Draco and the letter Harry had read him had been absolutely thrilling. It had made him feel all grown up to receive such a letter and when Harry had said they'd go the next day…

He didn't wait for Harry to knock, doing so himself with quite a bit of verve. The door was answered amidst the tirade by a young boy who looked enough like Draco that Teddy blinked. "Who are you?"

"Scorpius," he returned, studying the orange-haired boy. There was a curiosity in his eyes Harry could see he was trying to hide. Obviously the boy was as much a prat as his father had been. "I… I like your hair."

That had Harry blinking. What was that…?

Teddy grinned. "Thank you! Do you live here with Draco?" When the boy nodded, Teddy's grin widened. "Can I see your room?"

"…Sure." And the two were running down the hall.

Harry stepped in, closing the door behind him as he watched his godson scamper away. He looked over when he heard someone clear his throat and saw Draco in the doorway to the kitchen, an amused look in his eye.

"Malfoy."

"Potter." His eyes traveled to the small bag Harry had. "What's that?" His eyes changed, darkened as he saw Harry with draw a tankard of butterbeer and a container of cherries. When the fire whiskey was taken out, Draco's brow winged up. "And what's that for?"

"You have your tastes. I have mine."

"Well, Potter, I never figured you for a drinker."

"Neither did I."

Their eyes locked again and Draco took a step forward, curled a finger in the top of Harry's shirt. "I taste of fire whiskey?" he asked quietly. Harry's response was a curt nod. "And here I thought the great Harry Potter would be homophobic."

"I thought the two-face, prat Malfoy would be."

That seemed to sting a bit as Draco dropped his hand and stepped back. "I see." He walked off, leaving Harry to watch and wonder. He took up a chair in the kitchen, watched Draco fuss about. Every now and again, his house elf would do something without prompting. A minor assistance here and there that Draco usually took with a grateful pat or a smile.

"What happened to you, Draco?" Harry suddenly said. "From the first day I met you, you were a prat. When you first joined the ministry you were a prat. And now you're cooking meals and talking to my godson about worms."

"Yes."

He waited a beat. "Yes?"

"Yes." He cut a slice of bread, buttered it, and wordlessly sent it to Harry. "Eat up."

"Not until you explain to me what's changed in you. You're not supposed to be good with children. You're supposed to hate them. You're not supposed to live in this charming little flat. You're supposed to live in a big, depressing mansion. And you're not supposed to have a son who seems pleased to be able to play with someone his own age. You should have a prat who's just like you – a prat."

"Prat seems to be your word of the day," Draco mused. "And I'm thrilled to hear the high opinion you have of me."

"In our first year, you landed us all detention and left me behind when we saw Quirell drinking the blood of a unicorn! And that was _after_ you stole Neville's Remembrall and chucked it as far as you could. You gleefully attacked me in a duel in our second year, you hounded me the third and got yourself smacked by Hermione, joined the Inquisitorial Squad our fifth and helped Umbridge make our lives miserable, you nearly killed Albus Dumbledore when he was weak and defenseless and let the Death Eaters take over our school! Your bloody family held me and my friends in a dungeon while your dear aunt _tortured_ Hermione! My friends died that day at Hogwarts and I saved your arse twice! We even saved Goyle, the big oaf, and you were all just trying to kill us!"

He was furious now, standing with his wand pointed at the blonde. "And since you graduated and joined the Ministry, you've come into my office every single Wednesday at five on the dot just to annoy me, and then you added Mondays, and then Fridays, and the Tuesdays and Thursdays! I could set my bloody watch by you! And then you suddenly invite me to your home – the _last_ place I wanted to be on Christmas Eve – and bloody kiss me! What sort of bloody opinion should I have of you, Draco? You've a bloody Dark Mark burned onto your skin."

There was a long moment of silence before Draco sank heavily into a chair. "Dipsy, kindly finish dinner for me, will you?"

"Yes, Master Draco!" The house elf cheerily went about her work while Draco sat silently, contemplating what the other wizard had said.

"As I recall," he said quietly, "I was friendly to you when we first met. In Madame Malkins's shop while we were being fitted for robes. I wasn't very friendly to anyone else, of course, as I had a low opinion of those who lived outside of the wizarding world."

"Had a–"

"Please, Potter, don't be rude. I let you finish, didn't I? Now, then… Where was I?" He looked up, hands on his knees. "And then I discovered who you were as Professor McGonagall went off to get the Sorting Hat. I said hello to you, then. Offered my hand in friendship. I'm fairly certain that you were better off not taking it. Though… Perhaps I would have been better if you had. It's uncertain now and, well, after the Battle of Hogwarts, I knew where my loyalties were."

"Did you?" Now Harry was sitting, frowning deeply.

"Yes. And they did not lie where I had always thought they had. I realized fairly quickly that what had just occurred was unnecessary. I considered Crabbe to be my friend. I considered Goyle to be my friend. Neither of them were; neither of them thought of me as such. You lost friends that day? Well, so did I. Pansy would no longer look at me, Blaise insulted my family, Crabbe was dead, Goyle was heading to prison… You lost some of your friends, Potter. I lost every single one of mine."

He shrugged. "And that's when I realized that I'd never even had a friend. What I had was a pregnant teenager I didn't actually know and people who followed my orders for reasons I still don't entirely understand. So Father and I… had a row. I decided that I didn't actually have any prospects or any sort of future and I realized that Father's money wasn't going to last forever. So I joined the Ministry and I used every resource at my disposal to track down my child."

Draco's smile was slight. "And I find it fascinating that you would recall the order in which I visited your office."

"I…" Harry leaned back, frowning. "So it was the Battle that changed you."

"It was watching you fight. It was listening to your speech on love and on friendship. You defeated him. The man who'd been terrorizing my family for the past years and a half was gone after you delivered this queer little speech." At Harry's expression, Draco laughed. "It was queer. Love protected you. It was going to protect all of us. It was impressive and suited the situation, but looking back, it was queer."

"So me being queer helped you see the light?"

"No, you being queer made my Christmas fascinating." He rose, went over to Dipsy to help her get the ham out of the oven.

Harry sighed. "It took you a while to find Scorpius. How did you manage it?"

"With a lot of difficulty," he replied, sighing. "I was honestly stuck until I got a letter from his mother one day… She'd grown tired of him, grown tired of my father coming into visit whenever he felt like it. She just needed one more payment and she'd tell me where my son was. More importantly, she'd give him to me for two. And with my strings in the Ministry, I was able to stop my father from trying to get custody for himself. I was given the memory in which Father asked her to take my child and leave. He's been paying her to keep him away from me."

When he turned back to Harry, his silver eyes were like ice and Harry was suddenly reminded of the young Malfoy he'd always detested. He instead felt the stirrings of admiration. "You've grown up, Draco."

"A bit." He walked over to Harry and laid his hands on the wizard's shoulders, preventing him from moving. He lowered his mouth to Harry's, but didn't touch them together just yet. "You think I taste of fire whiskey?"

"Honestly, no. You taste like nothing I've ever had before." Harry's green eyes searched Draco's for any signs that this was a joke. "You made me feel the way fire whiskey does."

"And what way is that?"

"Heated," he admitted quietly, had no idea how his hands had found their way into Draco's soft hair. "Sluggish." He tilted his mouth to press it against Draco's, but he leaned too far out of the way.

"Is that so?" Draco teased.

"Damn it, Malfoy…"

"What's the matter, Potter?"

"I'll show you what the matter is," he snapped and dragged the other wizard's mouth to his own. It was like the previous kiss in that the taste was familiar and that everything else seemed to melt away.

But this time it was Harry who took over. Draco may have been leaning over him, but Harry was possessing the blonde, his tongue diving and flicking about as it pleased, one hand fisted in Draco's hair to keep him in place while the other roamed freely. Draco's seemed frozen to the brunette's shoulders, his eyes unable to stay open. Where had this come from? When had Harry Potter become such a commanding kisser…?

It was over long after he couldn't breathe, but still much too soon. "Harry," he breathed.

The wizard smiled, getting to his feet and nudging a stunned Draco into the chair. "I'll go check on the boys."

"Of course. I… Of course." Amused, Harry walked out and left Draco behind to sit and wonder… When had that green-eyed queer bastard become so wonderful?


	3. Like Ice

_Like Ice_

It had been nearly a week and Draco still wasn't talking to him… Wasn't even looking at him. Scorpius had revealed, in a whisper, that his father was very put-out, but could Harry still bring Teddy by?

Well, he'd brought Teddy along and had gotten the door slammed in his face after a crisp, "I'll send Teddy home with a Portkey." That hadn't gone as expected at all…

Now, paperwork piling up yet again, Harry was slumped in his chair, toying with his wand. Of course Teddy would have returned home with all sorts of stories… Draco this, Draco that, and wasn't it super nice that Draco had taken them for ice cream? Super nice, he thought darkly, but it wasn't Teddy's fault. Teddy hadn't refused the very romantic Valentine's Day invitation. Teddy hadn't been cajoled by Hermione and Ron into a blind date. Teddy hadn't gotten his picture plastered over the front page of the Daily Prophet while snogging some girl!

Bloody hell, the snogging hadn't been his idea… The girl had attacked him, and he'd shoved her off quick enough… Well, not quick enough. Damn Prophet. He'd never liked it, never liked reporters. And if that picture hadn't made it in the paper, Draco wouldn't be half as miffed as he was now. It was worse that Draco had actually let him explain… That conversation had been torture…

Draco slammed the paper down onto Harry's desk, silver eyes like ice. "Well. Now I know why you refused my invitation."

Baffled, Harry had picked up the paper and had stared for a full, slack-jawed, ten seconds. "What is this?"

"That is precisely what I would like to know."

Harry had looked up, gaped, and suddenly understood Draco's anger. "Listen, Draco, it isn't what you think. Hermione and Ron thought I was a bit lonely and decided to rope me into this blind date. I couldn't say no."

"I'm sure you could have easily said that you were involved with someone else."

"Well, yeah, I could've. But then they would've started asking questions about who I was seeing and all that…" He hadn't seen the hurt fly into those icy eyes because his gaze had gone back to the paper. "And this was all her doing. She ruddy attacked me and I shoved her off quick as I could."

"Not too quickly." That was a tone Harry hadn't heard in… well, not since their school days. It was clipped, snotty. Harry had tilted his head back, gaze questioning.

"What…?"

"Can the precious Potter no longer hear?" Draco had sneered. "You can't have pulled back too quickly, else she would've found out that you were queer. Proud Potter, the Chosen One, queer? Impossible! And how could he ever, _ever_, admit to snogging Draco Malfoy? Son of a Death Eater, even. Your friends would be horrified."

"Draco…?"

"That's Malfoy to you, Potter. Or, better yet, call me nothing at all. Don't even speak to me. Can't have anyone getting ideas, can we?" And he'd been gone in a sweep of dark robes and darker mood. And that was the last conversation he'd had with Draco…

Harry dropped his head onto his desk with a sigh and looked up hopefully when the door opened. He was slumping again when he saw who it was. "Oh… Hi, Hermione."

"Well, that was a thrilling welcome. Are you expecting someone?"

"No…"

The woman wandered over, perched at the edge of a chair in front of Harry's desk. It was the chair Draco had a habit of dropping into. It was an effort to avoid asking Hermione to switch to the other one. "I suspect that you're being untruthful. Moreover, I also suspect something else. Though, I'm fairly certain my second suspicion was confirmed after that Valentine's Day fiasco."

Leave it to Hermione to talk in riddles when Harry wanted to bash his head against a wall… "Fiasco? I don't know what you're talking about."

"Of course you do! You wouldn't even kiss Samantha."

"In case you missed it, our kiss was all over the Prophet."

"You pushing her off almost immediately wasn't. Your refusal to head upstairs for some Valentine's Day sex also wasn't. So who is she?"

"She?"

Her sigh was impatient. "Yes, Harry. Who have you been dating and why are you keeping it a secret from Ron and I? Are you ashamed?"

"No… I mean, there's no one. There's nothing."

"Harry James Potter, do not lie to me. I have been your friend since you were eleven years old and I can tell when you are."

He looked down, hair covering his eyes. "There's no she." At least that was the truth.

He heard Hermione suck in a breath. "A he, Harry?" That earned a jerk of the shoulder, but Harry didn't look up. Hermione eased back in the chair, staring. "Well… Out with it, then. The whole story."

Harry's head snapped up. "What?"

"Well, you can't just expect me to leave after you inform me that you fancy men, can you? Oh, he must have been so upset when he saw the Prophet. Poor thing." She clucked her tongue and Harry wondered if she would feel so much pity once he revealed the name… Not that he was going to, of course. "I can't believe you, Harry. You should have told Ron and I that you were seeing someone. I can understand not telling Ron," she added after a moment, "but really. You shouldn't have kept something this important from me."

"It's nothing," he tried to say, but at Hermione's gaping expression, he realized that the words that had actually left was, "It's Draco Malfoy."

There was a long beat of silence before Hermione blew out a breath. "As I said, Harry, out with it. I'd like the whole story."

And, with the name out in the open, everything was spilled. The Christmas Eve invitation, the kiss beneath the non-existent mistletoe, the reveal of Scorpius, plenty of snogging and dinners at Draco's flat and even the mind-blowing session they'd had in bed… that had lasted all night. And Hermione probably hadn't needed to know about that, but Harry was suddenly so bloody _glad_ that someone knew about his affair with Draco, that he was absolutely smitten with Draco.

When he finished it off with their last, frosty conversation, he watched Hermione's lips form an annoyed straight line. "Oh, Harry, you idiot! How could you be hiding this? Can't you see that Draco knows you're ashamed of him?"

"I'm not ashamed… It's private. Ron would have a heart attack – I dumped Ginny because I like blokes. He'll be mad for months. And then he'll remember that I'm in love with Draco Malfoy, who has a Dark Mark on his arm, and he'll be mad for years. The entire wizarding world knows about one snog with this friend of yours; they'll have a ball when they discover I'm with Draco hardly a week afterwards."

"What does the press have to do with who you love? And don't you even worry about Ron; I can handle him. And, you've said it yourself and long before any of this, Draco's a very good auror. And he's a good man. You told me that before Halloween, remember?"

"I was drunk."

"Hardly," she shot back, getting to her feet. "Now you had better make amends with him right away else you'll both be miserable."

"How'm I supposed to do _that_?"

"Easily, Harry!" Huffing, Hermione marched behind Harry and dumped him out of the chair. "Show him you're not ashamed to be with him. Why shouldn't you just go public with this? You're hurting and I'm sure he is. I'll have to speak with him later, obviously, but that can wait until the two of you have made up and I tell Ron. Honestly, why I never pictured the two of you together before is a mystery."

"It was because…" He couldn't think, couldn't remember. All the things he'd done in school seemed so damned trivial now; he could only think of the Draco he knew now. The one that lived in the charming flat and talked to Teddy about bugs and dirt, the one who was trying to raise his son without prejudice… His breath hitched and Hermione swiped at him, brushing imaginary dust off his chest.

"Exactly." Pleased with herself, Hermione shoved him to the door. "Now go and fix this since it was all your fault in the first place."

Offended, Harry's expression morphed into something much more indignant and normal. "It was not."

"Are you trying to infer that it was mine?" came the pointed question that Harry quickly answered in the negative and fled the room.

But Draco wasn't in his office. Annoyed, the wizard spun on his heel and went striding down the halls, looking this way and that. Where was he? Where the hell had Draco disappeared to? And holy god, of course. Of course he would be standing in the middle of the goddamn entryway of the Ministry looking so angry and pompous and so _Draco_.

The entire area was crowded, of course, a quick glance at the time informing him that it was around lunch. He quivered, but now wasn't the time to lose his resolve. Hermione had been right, of course. He'd messed this up; he had to fix it.

"Draco," he called, and the blonde turned sharply away from the witch he'd been scolding.

"Potter," he greeted, only because it would've been rude and suspicious not to.

Harry wouldn't be deterred. He walked directly to Draco, who made to turn away, but the witch he'd been berating had fled already. Draco's face was carefully schooled into a cold, emotionless expression. "Did you want something?"

"Yeah, I did. Still do." And his hands went to Draco's hips, jerked him close, and locked their lips together. It took Draco a moment to allow his mind to war with itself. He was still furious with Potter; Harry was blatantly snogging him in the middle of the busy entryway.

Eventually, the half that was completely gone for Harry won and had Draco's arms snaking around the brunette. On a groan – why had he been denying this for a damn week? – he let his lips part and allowed Harry's tongue to assault his.

If people were stopping to gawk or else running off to spread gossip, it was entirely lost on the two of them. Harry had forgotten his objective and only reveled in the taste of Draco, the feel of Draco's body pressed tightly against him. Draco had entirely forgotten why he'd been angry with Harry in the first place; Valentine's Day seemed like it had been years ago… centuries. All he wanted, all either of them wanted, was to stay locked together for an eternity and damn the world around them.

The world around them, however, seemed intent on breaking into their reunion. "Bloody hell, Harry! If you're going to make an arse of yourself and molest Malfoy in the hall, could you at least do it when I'm trying not to eat?"

Harry ended the kiss with a jolt, but his hands didn't move from where they'd slid beneath Draco's cloak and Draco's hands didn't move from where they'd driven themselves beneath Harry's shirt. Glasses askew, he looked at the blurry figure blearily. "Ron?"

He felt Draco pulling away, held fast. "Potter, I believe you've made enough of a scene."

"I haven't even started to make a scene," he muttered, reaching up and shoving his glasses in their correct position and fixing a glare on Ron, who was eating a bag of Muggle potato chips with a mildly interested expression. "Why aren't you panicking?"

"What, about you liking blokes? You and Hermione never remember that I shared a room with you for seven years. Well, six and then the seventh in a tent. I only saw you like two girls that entire time, and you chose really boyish girls. Cho was a giggling idiot and sort of pretty, but she had a boy chest. And then Ginny? Blimey, can you get more of a tomboy? I mean, you never even looked at Hermione and her chest is like…" He made a movement with his hands to demonstrate the proper size and shape of Hermione's attributes.

Harry was gaping, but a sleek smile was forming across Draco's mouth. "No objections then, weasel?"

"Not really, ferret-boy. Unless you decide to hurt Harry in some way; then I'll have to kill you." He turned on Harry, who was still gaping with shock. "Anyway, Harry, why were you stupid enough to go on that blind date of you were already with this arse?"

"I…"

"Yes, Harry, do tell."

Harry looked between Draco and Ron, his mouth closing and his eyes narrowing a fraction. "Ron, you're a prat. Draco, I love you and if you ever shut that door of yours in my face again, I'll break it down. Now I have blasted paperwork to do." He disentangled himself and stalked off, but not before hearing Ron and Draco trade parting insults. In the hall, though, Harry was ambushed.

Arms wound around his waist, a body pressed itself against his back, a warm mouth was at the base of his neck. "You said you loved me. You bloody snogged me in front of everyone and you called your weasel a prat."

"Should I have called you a prat?" The sharp bite he received at that made him laugh. He turned, gathered Draco up in his arms and held on. "I'm sorry. Alright? I'm not… I'm not ashamed of you or anything like that. I didn't tell them because I didn't want anyone to judge this, Draco. Everything I do seems to get plastered all over the damn papers. You can bet someone took a picture of us snogging and it'll be headlines. Your father will be in an uproar."

"I really don't care whether or not my father approves of me shagging the Chosen One. I really don't care who approves or who judges. The boys don't mind, your silly weasel doesn't appear to mind and if Granger's stupid grin is any indication, she doesn't mind either."

"It's not a stupid grin," she replied primly, brushing past the two of them. "And it's Weasley now, Draco. Or you could switch to Hermione since you're so proud of the fact that you and Harry are shagging." She gave Harry's shoulder an amused squeeze. "And Ron and I would be happy to watch Teddy and Scorpius for the night," she added just before disappearing around the corner.

Draco pushed Harry into his office, shut and locked the door behind them, and bent Harry over his desk, smiling perversely when it scattered the mounds of paperwork. "I say we take her up on that offer. What do you say, Potter?"

"Grand idea, Malfoy." He cupped his former rival's – his former sworn enemy's – cheek, gently rubbing his thumb over the soft skin. "I love you, Draco."

An unmistakable flash of embarrassment flitted into Draco's eyes, chased with pleasure. "I love you too, Harry. I love you more without your trousers on."

"That can be arranged," Harry mused and they were locked together and soon lost in each other.

* * *

Yes, this is the last of the series

Sorry, but no Teddy or Scorpius in this last part

But now you get Ron and Hermione!

And, really, is anyone else tired of Ron FREAKING out every time Harry comes out of the closet (it happens in just about every fic I read)? There are some things you just can't hide from your bff!

FEEL BETTER AME-DAWG. I HOPE THIS MAKES YOUR BRAIN SQUEE. AND THEN, YOU KNOW, HEAL YOU FROM THE INSIDE GOD DAMN. ;p

REVIEW, PEEPS. TELL ME YOU LOVE IT

Maybe I shall write more Drarry in the future *suggestive brow waggle*


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